Advanced Cements Expandable Tubulars Casing While Drilling Adv. Drilling & Completion Fluids Small Diameter Boreholes

In order for deep drilling technologies to continue to evolve, it is important that the industry look at well construction from a total systems perspective. That is, rather than viewing the procedure as a series of separate and distinct steps, effort must be focused on optimizing the entire integrated process by choosing the best combination of technologies for achieving the final goal: a highly productive well.

For example, reducing the frequency and magnitude of drilling problems through better monitoring of drilling parameters reduces drilling time and increases overall rate of penetration. It also reduces the likelihood of drilling-related formation damage, thereby improving the chances for a more effective completion.

Similarly, reducing the diameter of the near-surface wellbore through the use of advanced small diameter drilling techniques and expandable tubulars, can not only reduce the time it takes to drill a well but also the cost of the completion and the extent of environmental impact (smaller rig footprint, less cuttings). The relatively larger casing size possible at completion depth with the use of expandable casing also permits a higher production rate.

More effective light-weight cement formulations can reduce the number of casing strings required, reducing drilling and completion time and increasing the completion interval wellbore diameter and thus productivity potential. Less damaging drilling and completion fluids can improve the results of stimulation treatments, and more effective stimulation treatments can be achieved if a true understanding of the fracturing behavior of deep formations is achieved.

The development of entirely new approaches to the drilling/completion task, such as casing-while-drilling, could significantly decrease the time spent on downhole problems not associated with the actual drilling process (e.g., stuck pipe, lost circulation, and well control situations). This in turn leads to a safer and less expensive drilling operation (fewer people, less pipe handling, fewer trips, and less mud).

Currently, there are three Deep Trek projects focused on advanced drilling and completion technologies.

Drilling Vibration Monitoring and Control System (DE-FC26-02NT41664)
APS Technology Inc. of Cromwell, CT, is developing a system to monitor and controls drilling vibrations, one cause of premature equipment failure in deep wells. The two-component system includes a unique, multi-axis active vibration damper to minimize harmful axial, lateral and torsional vibrations. The hydraulic impedance (hardness) of this damper will be continuously adjusted using unique technology that is robust, fast acting and reliable. The second element is a real-time system to monitor 3-axis drill string vibration and related parameters including weight-on-bit, torque-on-bit and temperature. This monitor will determine the vibration environment and adjust the damper accordingly. In some configurations, it may also send diagnostic information to the surface via real-time telemetry. Phase I includes the development of a design for the system as well as an analytical and benchtop model study to prove its feasibility. In Phase II, a fully detailed prototype will be developed and tested in the lab, in test wells and in shallow commercial wells. Phase III will entail testing of a pre-commercial prototype in progressively deeper and more challenging wells. Total cost of the project, scheduled for completion in November 2006, is $2.24 million, of which $881,000 will be a cost-shared contribution by APS Technology.

Development of HT/HP Cement
Cementing Solutions, Inc. (Watters Engineering) of Houston, Texas, will team with Argonne National Laboratory and other industry partners to develop a "supercement" capable of sealing the casing and formation annulus at high temperatures (exceeding 350 degrees F) and high pressures. The supercement will possess superior pipe and formation-bonding capabilities to ensure a tight annular seal at depths exceeding 15,000 feet. Repairing failed cement jobs in deep, hot wells costs industry more than $100 million each year, often because the Portland cement systems used today cannot perform well the conditions found in deep wells. This new formulation will have the tensile strength, permeability, compressive strength and expansive properties required for long-term durability, minimizing the potential for mechanical failures. Work will begin with laboratory analysis of various Portland and non-Portland materials and mixtures to identify compositions that provide the optimum mechanical properties for withstanding extreme downhole temperatures and pressures. Upscale testing will be done to determine the cement's performance in larger quantities. Finally, a demonstration of the cement's performance will be conducted in three to six field applications in hot, deep wells. Total project cost is $2,489,575 with a cost share contribution of $980,000.

Stimulation Technology for Deep Well Completions (DE-FC26-02NT41663)
Pinnacle Technologies Inc. of San Francisco, California, is reviewing current and past stimulation practices and published research in order to characterize the current state-of-the-art for deep and/or high temperature/high pressure (HTHP) well completions and stimulations in the United States. Information will be obtained through literature reviews, interviews with operators, service companies and consultants, evaluations of rock mechanics and fracture growth in deep formations and assessments of actual stimulation techniques in three to five gas wells. A comprehensive report will be assembled and provided to the gas industry through publications and workshops. The information will develop and extend the knowledge base for the Department of Energy and drilling industry in the United States and Gulf of Mexico. The results should help reduce uncertainty and increase success in frontier and emerging deep and HTHP formation plays. The final report will include an assessment of what technologies are currently effective in deep and HTHP formation stimulation and completions, as well as where improvements are needed. Total cost of Phase I of the project, scheduled for completion in 2003, is $225,000, of which $45,000 will be a cost-shared contribution by Pinnacle Technologies Inc.